John h



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. TROWBRIDGE.

RUFFLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 423,399. Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. TROWBRIDGB.

RUFFLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 423,399. Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JOHN H. TROXVBRIDGE, OF NEVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOEDVIN R. PARSIL, OF SAME PLACE.

RUFFLER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,399, dated March11, 1890.

Application filed June 21, 1889. Serial No. 315,046. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: known by those skilled in the art, and theBe it known that 1, JOHN H. TROWBRIDGE, rear section cl is looselysecured 011 the feed a citizen of the United States, residing in the orsupporting bar (1 by means of a screw or city of Newark, Essex county,and State of rivet (i the head of which spans or engages 5 5 5 NewJersey, have invented new and useful the beveled edges of a longitudinalslot d,

Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which cated in an arm or extension(1 of said rear the following, taken in connection with the section (1,as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, accompanying drawings, is aspecification. said section being also provided on its under 7 Myinvention relates to sewing-machines; side with a projection d, adaptedto project 60 IO and it consists in adapting the ordinary sewand slidewithin a slot (1 in the bar 01 (see ing-machine to gather or rufflegoods without Fig. 3,) both of which (said screw or rivet d detachmentor displacement of the operating and lower projection 01) serve toretain in poparts,which I accomplish by forming the feed sition andguide said rear or movable section in two parts or sections andproviding means (Z' on the bar (Z when operated thereon, as 65 foradjusting the length of throw of one part will hereinafter be set forth.(1 representsa in its relation to the other, to gather or rufiie coiledspring located between said sections d the material operated upon, or tocause said and d and held in position on astem d proparts or sections tooperate in unison for orjecting from one of said sections, (more clearlydinary sewing, as will hereinafter be more shown in Fig. 3,) adapted toyieldingly sup- 7o fully described in detail. port or hold said rearsection d in an ex- The object of my invention is to so contendedposition from the forward section 61, struct the ordinary sewing-machineas to alfor the purpose to be hereinafter set forth. low the operator tochange from plain stitch- The upper or roughened "engaging-surface ingto ruitling or gathering without removing of the forward section at inthe instance 7 5 the goods or other articlebeing operated upon shownprojects slightly above the rear seefrom its position on the cloth-plateand withtion cl and is slightly yielding in a vertical out changing theposition of the operating direction, owing to its location on the endparts. of its supporting-bar d which at this end Referring to thedrawings, in which my inprojects beyond the feed-carrier B, as clearly ovention is shown as applied to a WVillcoX & shown, and has no directsupport, which fact, Gibbs machine, although it is obvious, as will inconnection with its reduced size, allows the appear from theaccompanying specification, said section cl to yield when in operationacthat the same may be adapted for any sewcording to the thickness ofthe gathers, or, in ingqnachine, Figure 1 represents an endview plainsewing, to the seams or other irregu- 35 of a sewing-machine .providedwith my imlarities in the material, as will appear obviprovements inposition thereon; Fig. 2, a top ous to those skilled in the art. When itis plan view of a section of the cloth-plate of desired to gather orruffle the fabric, the said machine; Fig. 3, a top and side view lengthof throw of said rear or movable secin detail of the feed detached fromposition tion is altered in its relation to the forward 40 on themachine; Fig. 4, a side viewin section section (If to form gathers orruflies by means of the feed, and Fig. 5 a bottom View of the of asuitable adjusting device. same. In Fig. 2 I have provided an adjustingde- To explain in detail,Arepresents the clothvice E, consisting of awedge-shaped plate plate; B, the feed-carrier; O, the feed-cover,(shown-in dotted lines) located beneath the 5 and D the feed,which inthe instance shown cloth-plate, adapted to slide in a dovetail is formedin two parts orsections, one of which groove or guideway therein, in aline transis movable or adjustable in its relation to the versely to thedirection of the line of feed, other. The forward section d is securedon as shown, and said adjusting-lever on its enthe feed-carrier B bymeans of its supportinggaging side, near its free end e is beveled orI00 50 bar (1" in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. cut away toward apoint to form an inclined 1, to be carried and operated thereby, as wellengagingsurfacc adapted to engage the rear side of the said rear ormovable section cl to change the throw of the latter in its relation tothe forward section d more or less, according to the position of theinclined engagingsurface of said adjusting-lever in its relation withsaid section, as will appear obvious to those skilled in the art. Saidadj usting-lever is provided with a suitable knob or handle e, projectin g through a slot or opening e in the clothplate, by which it isoperated, the movement of the same in its relative position to the saidrear or movable section (1 to adjust the throw of the latter beingregulated by a scale I cated at the side of the slot 6' in the cloth- 25 j ection f on one side thereof adapted to project within an opening 0,located in the up per edge of the feedcover 0, one side of which openingis made adjustable by means of an adjusting-plate c, which is supportedand adjusted on the said feed-cover adjacent to the opening 0 therein,by means of a set-screw 0 to lessen the width of said opening 0 andengage the pin or projection f on said movable section d sooner or laterto adjust the throw of the same, as will appear obvious to those skilledin the art.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: In ordinary sewingthe adjusting device E is moved back from engagement with the said rearor movable sectional of the feed, and the spring (I serves to keep thesaid movable section d stationary in its relative position to theforward section d to allow the feed, consisting of the two saidsections, to move or operate in unison to feed the material beingoperated upon uniformly, or, if desired, the said two sections may belocked together by a catch or other suitable means to close the openingbetween said sections to prevent any liability of thin fabrics fallingor catching in said opening, and when the operator desires to gather orruffle the material the said sections are disconnected and the adjustingdevice E is moved forward more or less, according to the width of gatherdesired, to engage with the said rear or movable section d of the feedand limit the movement of the latter, and by thus shortening the throwof the rear section d the forward section d, having a longer throw,feeds the material faster than the rear or movable section d, and thusgathers or ruffles the material, as will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, in a sewing-machine, with the stitching mechanism,of a feed-dog constructed in two parts or sections, said sections beingsupported and carried by a feedcarrier, and a springlocated between saidsections to elastically separate the same, whereby the same may beautomatically varied in their relative length of throw by meanssubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a sewing-machine for gathering fabrics, the combination, with thestitching mechanism, of a feeding-dog consisting of two parts orsections carried and supported by a feed-carrier, one of which sectionsis provided with an arm, upon which the other is supported and guided, aspring for elastically separating said sections, and an adjusting devicefor engaging one of said sections, whereby the throw of one may bevaried in its relative length of throw to the other, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the stitching mechanism,of a feeding and gathering dog formed in two parts or sections supportedand carried by the feed-carrier, a spring for elastically separatingsaid sections, an adjusting device, and a scale, arranged substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

4- In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the stitching mechanism,of a feeding and gathering dog formed in two parts or sections supportedand carried by a single feedcarrier, the upper engaging-surface of oneof Which sections projects slightly above the other and is verticallyyielding in its relation thereto, a spring for separating said partsorsections, and an adjusting device, substantially as described, and forthe purpose set forth.

JOHN H. TROWBRIDGE.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH M. CRANE, CHAS. F. DANE.

